For The Longest Time
by sunshinebananas
Summary: For The Longest Time is a song by Sherwood. Lucas' view of Brooke now that she has moved back to Tree Hill.
1. Chapter 1

Would you wait if I came running home to you

_**Would you wait if I came running home to you?**_

_God she's beautiful, _Lucas thought. _How could a girl like her ever love someone like me?_ He sat and watched Brooke flit about the racks of clothing, so busy that she hadn't even noticed he was there. When he had heard that she was coming back to Tree Hill, he couldn't help but go to see her. He was currently backstage at a Clothes Over Bros fashion show, and the only reason they had let him in was because he had told them he was one of her assistants. He felt a little guilty about not doing anything, but he couldn't help it. He hadn't seen Brooke in years, except for the occasional magazine, but she was breathtaking in person. With a smile on her face, she glowed, impossibly happy doing what she loved. Just seeing her again put a smile on Lucas' face.

_**Or if I moved right down the street a block or two?**_

Lucas couldn't explain why he had felt the need to see her, since their relationship had been over a long time ago, but he felt good knowing she would be close to home again. He could see her anytime he wanted.

He leaned against a stool and crossed his arms, partly to take in the craziness that surrounded him, but mostly to get out of the way of the scary-looking people that kept shouting at him.

_**Distance is never on my side,**_

When Brooke and Peyton had left, it had never occurred to him that they would stay gone. Eventually, he and Peyton had realized that they were not meant to be, just as he and Brooke had, but that didn't mean that they weren't a big part of his life. They had been away from their hometown ever since, seemingly leaving him behind. But Brooke had come back, to him, to their friends, and to Jamie, the Godson she hadn't seen in over four years. Lucas knew that Brooke hadn't come back for him, she had come back because Haley and Nathan needed her help, and she was the kind of person that would do anything for a friend.

_**It only seems to make our dreams collide**_

Lucas knew that both he and Brooke had agreed that their relationship was best as just friends, but in the back of his mind, he couldn't help wondering what would happen. She had been his first love, she would always be close to his heart, but was there a possibility that love could be rekindled?

Brooke had finally noticed him. She waved enthusiastically, a grin stretching across her face. He waved and smiled back, and started to get up to go talk to her, but just then, a tall, dark-haired guy walked up behind her, gently turned her around, and kissed her. Shocked, Lucas just stood there, not sure what to do. He hadn't expected this, Brooke had always been perfectly happy on her own. He wondered if this meant that she had forgotten about the small town that she had grown up in. Had she abandoned her old life, and in doing so, abandoned him?

_**And you have gone on to someone new.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Would you wait if I wrote you a perfect song tonight?**_

When he had heard that Brooke was back in town, Lucas immediately planned to visit her, but now, standing there, he second guessed himself. Her life seemed perfect without him in it, a dream job, plenty of money, and a boyfriend to share it with. Who was he to barge in and mess that all up? But there she was, waving again, and he had no choice but to suck it up and say hi.

_**To make your heart stand still and make your chest grow tight?**_

Maybe there was some part of him that had hoped she would fall for him all over again, a selfish part of him. His mind buzzed, trying to find the right thing to say, but the walk over was a short one, and soon he was standing in front of Brooke and her...whatever he was.

"I missed you, Lucas Scott." She said with a smile, and pulled him into a hug.

Surprised, Lucas hugged her back and replied, "I missed you too, Brooke Davis." When they ended their embrace, he held her at arm's length and looked at her. "It's really good to see you."

She nodded, and said, "You too." Then, as if she had just remembered that there was someone standing beside her, she gestured to her companion and introduced him as Owen. They shook hands, and Lucas could tell that Owen was sizing him up. He must have decided that he wasn't a threat because he then said,

"So you're Lucas Scott."

Confused, Lucas answered with "Yup." Yup? He was ashamed to call himself a writer if that was all he could come up with. Looking around, he said, "Wow, Brooke, you've really done well these past few years."

Brooke beamed, "Yeah, it's been hard, but it's everything I've ever dreamed of."

_**But I'll never write a perfect line,**_

Now that he was face to face with his past, Lucas couldn't think of a thing to say, let alone something witty that would get Brooke to take her eyes off of _Owen_.

_**And I don't even know why I waste my time and try.**_

For all Lucas knew, Owen was a really great guy who had everything going for him, but all he could think was that he wasn't good enough. Brooke was obviously head-over-heels for him, and Lucas couldn't help being at least a little jealous.

Brooke turned to Owen and told him to go ahead to his seat while she caught up with Lucas for a bit. Reluctantly, Owen went, leaving Lucas alone with Brooke. When she was facing him again, she said, "Well, you know how I've been, tell me about you. Any luck with the second book?"

Lucas shrugged sheepishly, "Not really. I just haven't felt...inspired lately."

"Better get cracking, mister. I can not be seen with a one hit wonder."

He laughed, and relaxed a little. This was like old times, the two of them joking around. "I'm really glad you came back, Brooke."

"Yeah, I am too." She sighed contentedly.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Are you happy? With you're life, I mean."

She thought about it, "Yeah, I am."


	3. Chapter 3

For the longest time

_**For the longest time **_

A few days later, Lucas sat in his office at the high school, thinking about how much Brooke had impacted his life. Being his first love, she would always be special to him, not only for that, but for allowing him to be with his second love, Peyton. Ah, Peyton…Although the three of them had resolved their differences before they had left high school, the fact that Peyton did indeed steal him from her best friend had always hung over his head. And Brooke, while shunning Peyton at first, had gracefully accepted that Lucas had cared for Peyton, and had even been the one that gave him the final nudge.

_**I couldn't love her to save my life**_

Apparently, everyone else had seen this coming and was not surprised when Lucas announced that Peyton was his girlfriend. Funny how other people seemed to know more about his feelings than he did. Even now, though they knew better, Haley and Nathan still managed to slide in the odd comment about Peyton, and Lucas, why don't you give her a call sometime?

Looking back on it, he had decided that nineteen was too young to get married, despite the success of his brother's at the ripe old age of seventeen. He smirked, and reminded himself to tell Nathan that a marriage proposal was the quickest way of getting rid of a girl.

_**Never a moment of peace in my mind.**_

His mind strayed back to Brooke. He had been pleasantly surprised when they had fallen back into their friendship as if no time had passed at all. Through their brief conversations during her free moments at the fashion show, he had discovered that she met Owen in New York, and he had agreed to move to Tree Hill with her when Haley had called her.

"Lucas!" Haley said, bursting into his office and jerking him out of his reverie. "Brooke wants me to tell you that you're joining her and Jamie at the park this afternoon."

Amused, Lucas looked up at his best friend, "I guess I have no choice."

_**Cuz in the longest line, **_

Complying with Haley's command, Lucas found himself at the park at three in the afternoon, leaving basketball practice up to Skills and Nathan. He spotted Brooke on a bench, and Jamie playing nearby. He sat down next to her, and after inpecting their wardrobes, looked at her and said, "We are way overdressed for the park."

She laughed, a sound that brought a smile to his face. "Yeah, but this way, all the little girls think Jamie is a man of money."

"From you and Nathan, maybe, but need I remind you that Haley and I work at a humble school."

"And you're being a published author means nothing? As I recall, I was mentioned in that book, so it's gotta count for something, right?"

"Says the great Brooke Davis." Lucas countered playfully.

"Hey, I'm sorta famous, buddy. You better treat me right, or I'll sic my fans on you."

"Don't you mean your fan?"

"Very nice, insult the godmother of your nephew."

"You're doing a great job, you know." Lucas said, now completely serious. "I know Nathan and Haley appreciate you doing this."

Brooke shrugged, "I don't mind. I love Jamie, and what's the point of being his godmother if I don't help out?"

_**The front and the back are the same sometimes**_

After a lull in their conversation, Lucas worked up the courage to ask about _him. _"So how's Owen?" he said, as casually as possible.

Brooke grew quiet for a moment, and then faced Lucas, "We broke up."

This wasn't what Lucas had been expecting, he had thought she was going to say he was fine, and that would be the end of it. Even if he hated to admit it, this new development made Lucas just the slightest bit happier. "Oh, Brooke. What happened?" he said sympathetically.

"He's going back to New York. He misses it. I guess after the city, Tree Hill is kind of a hick town."

Lucas could see that Brooke was pretty torn up about it, even though she was putting on a brave face. He hated seeing her like this, but was secretly glad that Owen was leaving.

_**And taking a number is taking my time.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**And there are things I know that I don't have the patience for.**_

There was a knock on Lucas' door, and he ran out of the bathroom, toothbrush in hand, to answer it. He yanked it open, and seeing it was Brooke, quickly swiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Still not much of a morning person, I see." She said with a laugh.

Lucas ran a hand through his hair sheepishly. "Yeah…not really. You could've called, you know, given me some sort of warning…"

"And where would the fun in that be? Besides, not like I haven't seen you brush your teeth before. Among other things." Brooke grinned.

He glanced down, realized that he was clad only in his boxers, quickly rushed inside. "What do you want, Brooke?" He called over his shoulder as he returned to the bathroom.

Brooke plopped down on his bed. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"What's that?" Lucas stuck his head around the corner.

"Come here." Brooke nodded to the space next to her, indicating that he should sit down.

"What's going on?" Lucas asked, confused.

"Luke…" Brooke began, looking unsure of herself. "Peyton called me yesterday." She looked up quickly, trying to read his expression.

"Really? How is she?"

"You…you're not surprised?"

"No, why should I be?"

"It turns out…she's moving back to Tree Hill."

_**And when I go to my room I leave and open door.**_

"What?" Lucas said, stunned.

"Peyton's coming home." Brooke repeated slowly. When he didn't reply, she reached for his hand. "Are you ok?" she asked gently.

"Yeah, of course I'm ok, why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, Peyton…"

"Peyton and I are over, Brooke."

"But you proposed to her, and she said no."

"And that's ok. We both decided it was for the best."

"So it won't be hard for you to see her again?"

"It wasn't hard for me to see you again, was it?"

Brooke looked down, "It's not the same."

"Yes, it is." Lucas replied firmly. "Just because she came after you doesn't mean our relationship meant any less."

"Ok." Brooke started to get up, "You sure you're ok?"

"I will be."

_**Cuz I can't stand to feel alone**_

"Brooke."

She turned, her hand on the doorknob, "Yeah?"

"Thank you. For telling me."

"I didn't want you to get caught off-guard. Maybe this will give you time to prepare your please-take-me-back speech." She said with a smile.

"Come on, Brooke, that's not fair."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry."

"Get coffee with me to make it up, then."

"Lucas Scott, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were asking me out." She thought about it for a minute. "Fine. But only if you agree to pick up Peyton at the airport with me."

Lucas laughed, "Alright. I know what you're trying to do, Davis, and it won't work."

_**And when you come around **_

"How were you so sure it wasn't going to work, Luke?" Brooke asked, entirely serious now.

Lucas shrugged, "At the time, we just weren't in the same places in our lives. I mean, I had already written and published a book. I was getting ready to settle into life in Tree Hill, she was just getting started."

"But that was then, what about now?"

"I don't know, Brooke. We'll just have to see."

_**I'm feeling more at home**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**For the longest time**_

Peyton appeared in Lucas' doorway as she had a million times before. Lucas looked up from his computer and smiled when he saw her. "Hey. How's living with Brooke again?"

"Just like high school…only we have a lot more money to throw around."

Lucas laughed at this. "Dangerous in the hands of two single girls."

"How do you know I'm single?"

"I just figured you probably would have told us on the way home from the airport."

Peyton shrugged. "Well, you're right, in any case. So, how goes the writing?" she said, quickly changing the subject.

"It's ok. I'm starting to get my inspiration back." He leaned back in the chair to study her. She was as beautiful as he remembered. This was good, hanging out with her again, it felt right. The last time they had done this was three years ago, before they had ended it.

_**I couldn't love her to save my life**_

Even though they had fallen easily back into friendship, Lucas did not know what to expect from Peyton. Brooke had always been one to let him know what she was thinking, but Peyton expected him to guess. He looked at her intently, trying to figure out what had drawn her back to Tree Hill. Finally, he decided to as her.

"Why'd you com back, Peyton?"

She shrugged, "It was kind of the obvious choice. I missed you, all of you. I missed this. Everything there was so…unreal."

"It's good to have you back, Peyton."

_**Never a moment of peace in my mind**_

Brooke and Peyton were clattering around in Peyton's room, attempting to unpack and organize the rest of Peyton's things.

"So," Peyton said casually, as she dumped out a box of books, "I went to see Lucas yesterday."

"Yeah?" Brooke poked her head out of the closet, "How did that go?"

"Fine. It was nice to reconnect with him."

Brooke stepped out and eyed her suspiciously. "Come on, P. Sawyer, it's me."

Peyton sighed and flopped onto the bed. "He didn't miss me at all, did he?"

"Of course he did! Sweetie, I was with him the day he left you in Los Angeles, he was broken hearted." Brooke gave her a sad smile. "I know a little something about that, and all you can do is pick up the pieces and move on. He's just protecting himself."

"So what do I do?"

"Give him time, he'll come around."

_**Cuz in the longest line,**_

"Thank you, B. Davis."

"That's what I'm here for."

"Ok, enough about me and my pathetic love life, what about you? How's Owen?"

"Owen came here with me from New York…and then he left and went back to New York."

"Oh, Brooke, I'm so sorry, what happened?"

"He missed the big city. I don't blame him. And I guess it's better this way, I have more time for Jamie and the company."

"He doesn't deserve you, anyway." Peyton thought for a moment, "God, listen to us. We are young and single, and we're sitting around bitching about guys. You know what we need? A night out."

"I don't know, Peyton, I've got a lot to do…"

"Come on, where's the girl that you do anything for a drink? And I do mean anything." Peyton said playfully.

"Oh, you are so dead!" Brooke tossed a pillow at her. "Whoever gets the most guys to buy her a drink tonight. Loser does dishes for a week."

"Deal. Are you prepared to lose, Davis?"

"Oh, please. I upped you in high school, Sawyer, I think I've still got it."

_**The front and the back are the same sometimes**_

"So here's the thing," Brooke said as she stood outside the doors to Tric with Peyton. "While you were getting ready, I might have called everyone and asked them to meet us here. Including Lucas."

"What? Brooke, how am I supposed to have any fun with Lucas here?"

"Oh, I could think of a few ways."

"Brooke!"

"Ok, ok, sorry! Look, this is your chance to say 'Look how awesome I'm doing without you.'"

"Yeah, that's nice, but I'm not."

"I know that, but he doesn't. Sometimes you have to pretend. Hell, you keep it up long enough, and you might even convince yourself." When Peyton still looked unsure, Brooke took her best friend's hand. "Just give it a shot, ok? You always have me to fall back on, and anyway, this was your idea!"

"Fine. I will go, and I will have a good time."

"That's my girl."

_**And taking a number is taking my time**_

"Deep breath?" Peyton obeyed. "Ok, let's go." The girls walked into Tric, and were immediately set upon by their friends. When everyone had finished greeting each other and gotten drinks, Brooke raised her glass. "To friends." Each of them echoed her statement and grinned.

After they had milled around for a while, Lucas wandered over to Peyton and Brooke. When Brooke spotted him, she quickly excused herself with a wink, leaving Peyton to make awkward small talk with him.

"Where's Brooke going?" Lucas asked.

Peyton shrugged, "Saw someone she knew."

"Huh. So how's the new office?" He gestured toward the back of the club.

"It's great." Peyton stopped for a moment, contemplating her next sentence. "Lucas, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Are you happy now?"

Without thinking, he answered, "Of course." Seeing the dismay on her face, he asked, "What's wrong?"

Peyton looked at her feet, not wanting to meet his eyes, "It's nothing…I…just, how can you be happy when I'm not?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I still love you, Lucas, can't you see?" Peyton cried. When her revelation was met with silence, a feeling of dread began to grow in her stomach, reminding her terribly of another scene, very similar to this one, between. She had confessed her love to him before, during their senior year, and Lucas had had nearly the same reaction.

Lucas took Peyton's hands in his, and tilted her chin up, forcing her to look at him, and said gently, "Peyton, you and I both decided that we were over. It was for the best."

"It was a mistake."

"No," Lucas said softly, shaking his head, "I loved you, Peyton. And believe me, it was hard seeing you again…I'm sorry." With that, he gave her hands a squeeze and walked away, leaving her there with tears in her eyes.

Don't pass me by 


	6. Chapter 6

_**Give me another chance tonight**_

"Hi Luke." Haley said as she opened the door.

"Hey. Where's Jamie?" Lucas glanced around.

Haley smiled guiltily and pulled him inside before he could protest. "Actually, that's not why I asked you here."

"What? But you said-"

"I know what I said," Haley interrupted, "but I really wanted to talk to you about what happened between you and Peyton."

"Oh." Lucas sagged onto the couch.

Haley came to sit next to him, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I mean, I just…is she ok?"

"Peyton's pretty broken up about it, and Brooke-"

"Brooke knows?"

"Well, yeah. She's Peyton's best friend. She lives with the girl, for God's sake."

"Does she hate me?"

"Of course not. But just tell me…why? You asked her to marry you, remember? She gives you another chance, and you say no?"

"It wasn't going to work."

"You can't know that. She loves you, Luke, what more could you want? Is there someone else? Whoever it is, whatever it is…please, just make up your mind."

_**To make your heavy heart so light that you can fly**_

Lucas walked into Clothes Over Bros unsure of what he was going to say to Brooke. As it turned out, he didn't have to know. The second she saw him, she grabbed is arm and pulled him toward the back.

As soon as they were alone, she turned to face him, "How are you doing, Luke?"

"I'm…fine."

"You are not fine. Someone tells you they love you, and you say you're fine? Come on, Luke, I know you better than that."

"I don't know what you want me to say."

"Do you still love her?"

For a moment, Lucas didn't say anything. "I don't know.

"That doesn't sound like a no to me. Can you at least talk to her? Please?

Lucas nodded, "Yeah." He started to leave, but Brooke called him back.

"Luke?"

"Hm?"

"You know I love you, don't you?"

"Of course I do. Just like I love you." He pulled her into a hug. "You mean more to me than you'll ever know."

_**Cuz every time I see the light behind your eyes**_

"What are you doing here?" Those were not the words Lucas had been expecting out of Peyton's mouth when he had gone to her office.

"We need to talk."

"Lucas…I should've said yes. The day you asked me to marry you, but I didn't, and I regret it every day. I don't know what else there is to say."

"Peyton, you were right. The timing wasn't right, we were in different places, our lives are just…different."

"You could've waited for me. I would've waited for you."

"I asked you to marry me, and you said no. So I left. How was I supposed to know how long it would take you to change your mind?"

"I was wrong, ok? I was wrong. And I've been paying for it ever since. And I told myself that if I ever got another chance, I wouldn't let you go again."

"You broke my heart, Peyton. I've learned from Brooke that when a girl says no, she usually means it. And I don't stay where I'm not wanted. So something made you say no, and something, some little part of you must've told you that it wasn't right."

"You wrote a book about me, Lucas. You wrote a book proclaiming to the world how much you loved me, doesn't that mean anything?"

"It did to me. And I thought it did to you."

"I buy that book every time I see it. I can't help it. That's all I have left of you, Luke."

"I still have the ring, Peyton. I don't know why, maybe to remind me of how much it hurt."

"I'm sorry, Lucas."

"I know."

"I love you."

"I know."

_**The whole thing catches me, in a moment, by surprise**_


	7. Chapter 7

Ok, so this chapter and the next are gonna be kinda short because they're actually one chapter divided into two. This is the last chapter of the story, so I hope you enjoy part one; part two will be up soon!

_**For the longest time**_

"Peyton, can we talk?" Brooke came to sit down next to her best friend on the couch.

Peyton closed her laptop and said, "Sure, what's up?"

"Listen…I, um, I'm going back to New York for a while. I've gotta meet with people for Clothes Over Bros up there, and it'll only be for a few weeks, at the most a month."

"Brooke…"

"And you can stay here and-"

"Brooke!"

"What?"

"Are you crazy? You can't go to New York for a month! What about me, and Lucas, and Jamie?"

"I'll come back. And besides, now that you're here, Nathan and Haley don't need me to watch Jamie."

Peyton just looked at her. "Let me ask you something, if I came back for Lucas, why did you come back?"

Brooke paused, "If you love Lucas, and he loves you…then you should be with him."

"You didn't answer my question, Brooke."

Brooke wouldn't meet Peyton's eyes. "My flight leaves tonight an nine. I love you, P. Sawyer."

_**I couldn't love her to save my life**_

"Hi Luke." Brooke said as she greeted Lucas on his front porch.

"Hey Brooke…what's wrong?" Lucas asked, concerned.

Brooke shook her head, "Nothing, it's nothing."

"Ok…"

"Lucas, listen…" Brooke began, and Lucas knew it was serious then because she only called him Lucas when something was wrong. "I'm going back to New York." She looked at him earnestly.

"I don't know what to say to that, I mean, you just came back, and I…we…" Lucas trailed off.

"I'll come back, I promise. This is business, and I need to get away for a while."

"Is this about Owen?"

"No. I told you-"

"Did you love him, Brooke?"

"I could have. He didn't really give me the chance to, did he?"

"I'm sorry, Brooke. For everything."

"Me too."

"You know I just want you to be happy, don't you?"

"That's all I ever wanted for you, Lucas."

"Don't go, Brooke."

"I have to."

_**Never a moment of peace in my mind**_

"I have to do this." Brooke repeated. Maybe if she tried hard enough, she could even convince herself. As she packed, tears formed in her eyes because she knew she had lied to Peyton and Lucas. She would be gone a lot longer than a month, but she couldn't tell them because they would try to talk her out of it more than they already had. It was better this way; she could go back to New York and bury herself in work until she was numb. If only it didn't hurt so much right now.

Peyton sat in her room, trying not to hear the sounds of Brooke packing. It didn't make any sense to her; Brooke had only just come back to Tree Hill. She had a godson here, a business, people she loved…Then Peyton knew why Brooke was leaving. "If you love Lucas, and he loves you…then you should be with him." And suddenly, she knew what she had to do.

Lucas couldn't figure out what had happened to make Brooke decide to leave. Her whole life was here. Not only that, but he was going to miss her. He didn't want to see her go. Then he heard a knock on his door…


	8. Chapter 8

Here's part two! The very end of the story! And I know you all are anxious to see who Lucas chooses, so I'll just say thanks for reading!

_**Cuz in the longest line,**_

He went to answer it, trying not to hope too much that it was Brooke saying she had changed her mind. But when he opened it, he saw Peyton and his hopes fell. If she was here, that meant Brooke had told her too, that meant it had to be true. He pulled her into his arms, and she began to cry.

"Lucas…"

"I know."

"I don't want her to go."

"Neither do I."

Peyton pulled away, "What are we going to do?"

"She'll come back, Peyton. She has to."

"But who knows when? She'll stay in New York as long as she has to, and knowing your history, that will be a long time."

"What are you talking about?"

Peyton sighed, "Lucas…why do you think I came back here?"

"I don't know, Peyton. To start a record company?"

She laughed sadly, "No, Lucas. I came back here because I was lonely in Los Angeles. I was lonely, and miserable because the boy I love asked me to marry him and I said no. I came back here for you."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because…Brooke knows that I came back here for you. And she knew that I was in love with you when she broke up with you. The reason we were fighting was because of me, because I told her that night before Nathan and Haley's wedding."

"That was a long time ago…"

"My point is, she gave you up. She gave you up because she only wanted you to be happy, and as much as she hated me, she thought you could be happy with me. And it hurts to think that she did that for me, and I screwed it up."

"Peyton, stop-"

"No, Lucas. I need to do this for her, and for you. Brooke is leaving because she thinks you still love me. And the truth is, I would love to say that you do…but you don't."

"I don't, huh?"

Peyton shook her head, "I see the way you look at her, Lucas. You still wonder what might have been. And I think she does too, so don't let her get away again."

"Why are you doing this, Peyton?"

"Because she's my best friend. And because she did it for me." She paused, and a tear slid down her cheek, "I don't know how I'm supposed to live without you. But I'll learn. Goodbye Lucas."

_**The front and the back are the same sometimes**_

Brooke sat in the airport terminal, and glanced at her watch. Just then, a voice came over the intercom and declared _"Flight 49B to New York City is now boarding." _She sighed, and stood up, gathering her coat and bag. She fished her boarding pass out of her purse and began to walk toward the tunnel.

Meanwhile, Lucas ran through the airport, praying that he wasn't too late. He finally reached the terminal, and called out her name. "Brooke!" She spun, looking around for whoever had called her. He jogged up to her, and when she saw him, a look of confusion spread across her face.

"Lucas! What are you doing here? They only let passengers this far in!"

"I bought a ticket." Lucas gasped, out of breath.

"What? You did that for me?"

"Don't go, Brooke."

"Why not?" She asked, incredulously.

"Because you can't, I won't let you. Peyton told me everything. I know you think you're doing the right thing, but you're not."

"Lucas…I, I…"

"Don't get on that plane Brooke."

_**And taking a number is taking my time.**_

_"Final boarding call for flight 49B to New York." _The voice called in the air above them.

"Please don't…" Lucas pleaded.

"I have to go, Lucas, I'm sorry." And she began to walk away.

Desperate, he said the only thing that came to his mind. "I love you, Brooke Davis."

She stopped, and slowly turned. When the light hit her face, he could see the tears sparkling in here eyes. "What did you say?"

He walked towards her, and grabbed her now-empty hands; she had dropped her bag onto the floor. "You don't know how confused I've been since you've come back. I thought for sure we were done after high school, to tell you the truth, I kinda thought you didn't want me."

"I would never…"

"I know. But you, Brooke Davis, are beautiful, and smart, and everything I've always wanted since I was seventeen years old. And then you came back, and I fell in love with you all over again. And I'm not letting you go this time."

"Are you saying…?"

Unable to say anymore, he gathered her in his arms, and kissed her. "I want you to stay here, with me. Because I am so completely in love with you, Brooke Davis."

"Oh, Lucas…." She reached up and touched his cheek, "I never stopped."

Don't pass me by 


	9. Chapter 9

Since a few people asked, and I just wasn't ready to let this story go yet, I've decided to write an epilogue/preview of their future. I hope you guys like it! (This is officially the end, for real this time) 

-Rachel

Brooke knocked softly on Peyton's door. "Hey." She said as she sat down across from her best friend. "So I guess by now you've figured out I'm not going to New York."

A sad smile crossed Peyton's face, "Yeah…I'm glad."

"Me too." Brooke grabbed the other woman's hand, "Peyton, I know what you did for me. I don't know what else I can say except thank you."

"It had to be done. In high school…you sacrificed your relationship with Lucas because you wanted him to be happy. And he never knew. That was truly selfless, Brooke, you know that, don't you?"

"I only wanted him to be happy. And even though I hated you for it, I knew that his happiness was with you."

"You gave me the best gift I could ever ask for. That time with Lucas was the best time of my life."

"And now you've given it to me." Brooke hugged her best friend. "I love you, Peyton Sawyer."

"I don't know what I would do without you, Brooke Davis."

"You'd be alright. You always are."

"But what if…what if I never find a love like the one you and Lucas have? A love that withstands everything, and everyone?"

"You already have. With Jake, and with Lucas. Both of them did love you, Peyton, and nothing anybody can do or say could ever take that away from you."

"So that's it? The only true happiness I'll ever have is gone?"

"You can find happiness in other things. I have Clothes Over Bros, and Jamie, and I have all my friends. You'll always have me."

"I know. Thank you. I just don't want to be alone for the rest of my life."

"Didn't you meet anyone in L.A.? There must've been _someone_."

"You mean between the homesickness, and the moping over Lucas, and the horrible, miserable job?" They shared a giggle, smiling at each other through the tears, "There was, actually. But he…left. Like they always leave."

"Oh, Peyton, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

She shook her head, "No, it's ok. He was right to leave me, I just didn't know it then." A wistful look crossed her face as she remembered her time in California. "We were in love."

At this revelation, a shocked expression spread across Brooke's features. "Peyton! Why haven't you told me this?!"

"Well, with the Lucas drama, and getting settled back here, on top of everything else, I figured it could wait."

"It couldn't, and it won't anymore. Spill."

Peyton laughed, "I met him a few days after Lucas left, after…"

"The proposal, I remember. I met him in New York that night."

Peyton's left eyebrow rose, "He never told me that. Neither did you, for that matter."

Brooke waved it off, "Never mind, this isn't my story, it's yours."

"Fine." Peyton sighed and rolled her eyes at her friend, "I was at work, running who-knows-what kind of errands, and crying, of course. Anyway, he came into the copy room where I was, and…well, he made me laugh. It was probably the first time I smiled since Lucas left. His name was Julian."

"A few days later, I was at Lucas' book signing. I meant to surprise him, but it turned out to be the other way around. Lindsay was there." Peyton said, by means of explanation.

"Ah, yet another ex-girlfriend."

"Yeah. And I couldn't stand the thought of facing him after that, so I left, and Julian found me, crying again. Long story short, he took me to a party, made me laugh, and he made me forget about Lucas for a while."

"He sounds perfect. Where does the leaving part come in?"

"We were packing for a trip, and he found _The Unkindness Of Ravens_ in my luggage. He commented on my…tendency to buy the book every time I see it, and he told me he wasn't going to compete with Lucas for my love, and that I was obviously not over this guy."

"Which you obviously aren't."

Peyton shrugged, "And so guy number three walked out of my life forever."

"And you let him go?"

"What else was I supposed to do? He accused me of not being over my ex, and it was the truth."

"You know, when I told Lucas I wanted him to fight for me, I forgot that I had to do a little fighting of my own. If you care about someone, don't let them just walk out of your life without telling them how you feel."

"A little late for that now."

"It's never too late. Look at Lucas and me. We would never have gotten here without going after each other. Or without a little help from our friends." Brooke said with a meaningful look.

"Ok, ok, I get it, if I ever meet Julian again, I promise I won't let him walk out again."

"Good girl. You deserve to be happy, I hope you know that."

"I had you to help me realize it."

Brooke walked through the front door of the house she and Lucas now shared. He had moved in with her, simply because her place was bigger. He was standing amid a mess of boxes, with his things strewn about the living room, and he was looking a bit overwhelmed.

As she stood in the entryway, Brooke couldn't help but laugh at him. Hearing her, Lucas looked up to see her grinning at him. "What?" he asked, the slightest bit hurt at being laughed at.

"Oh, don't give me that look. You know what."

"No I don't. Why don't you come over here and tell me?"

"Hmmm…I would, but how would I manage that, exactly? You've taken over all the walking space."

"Huh. Would you look at that. I guess I'll just have to…" He leaned on the couch to support himself, and jumped over boxes on the floor, "…come to you." He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a kiss.

"Mmmm…hi." She said, closing her eyes in happiness.

"Hi yourself. Where were you?"

"Peyton's apartment." Brooke untangled herself from Lucas' arms and made her way over to the counter, where she began to brew some coffee.

"How is she?"

"She's…ok. She'll be ok. She's a lot stronger than she looks."

"I know, I just hate to see her hurt."

Brooke gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, "I don't think there's anything we can do about that." She said gently. "Anyway, we were talking about her time in L.A., and she was telling me about Julian. Did you know about him?" Seeing the blank look on his face, she burst out laughing again. "I guess not."

"Who's Julian?"

"Apparently, they were in love."

"Really? Well, then why-"

"He left because he thought she still loved you. Which she obviously did."

"Oh, right, obviously."

Brooke stuck out her tongue at him, "Will you just let me finish my story?" When she was met with only silence and a mischievous look on Lucas' part, she replied, "I'll take that as a yes. So I told her that if she wanted it to ever work out, she had to, you know, work for it."

"And how'd she take that?"

"Pretty well, actually. And of course, I told her that she will always meet someone else. She's amazing, and someone will see that."

Lucas watched her as she spoke so highly of her best friend. The same best friend who had nearly ruined their friendship, and yet Brooke had found it in her heart to forgive Peyton. Lucas was astonished that this remarkable, wonderful woman could ever love him. "Someone already does. And I don't know what I'd do without you." Suddenly, he wanted nothing else than to be in her arms. So he drew her close again, and kissed her sweetly on the forehead.

As she gazed lovingly up at him, Brooke said quietly, "Peyton said the same thing."

"It's true. You kept both of us sane, even when we were doing everything in our power to drive you away. You're too good for me, Brooke Davis."

"Never, Lucas Scott. You are the reason I am the way I am. Without you, I might still be the girl I was in high school. So, really, I should be thanking you."

"And I can think of a few ways you can do that…" He said suggestively.

She hit him playfully on the arm, "That'll come later. But first, you have to help me clean up this mess!" She said, referring to the state of their living room. She led him by the hand into the room, and began to survey the damage.

"Always." Lucas said under his breath.

Brooke, who was already kneeling, attempting to stuff clothes back into a box, glanced up, "Did you say something?"

He shook his head, "Never mind." He kneeled down next to her, and as one, they began to piece together their new life.


End file.
